Prevention Matters

In his "last stand" speech against legislation to let FDA regulate tobacco, Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., said smoking lettuce is the same as smoking cigarettes. He says it's not the nicotine that kills, it's the smoke. Of course, using that logic, chewing on tobacco as if it were a salad wouldn't cause throat or gum cancer. Buyer beware, indeed! Fortunately, the bill passed and is on its way to the White House for a signature.

View a video of Buyer's remarks by clicking on the player below. If you don't see a player below, click here.

The Indiana University Center for Health Policy has issued findings from a comprehensive review of existing research about the health and economic impact of smokefree workplace laws. It's designed to clear up some of the confusion created by contradictory studies that flood the offices of lawmakers and policymakers. Among the findings:

• While secondhand smoke has been definitively linked to many kinds of health problems, the most significant health consequence related to secondhand smoke is death
• Smokefree workplace laws do not have a negative economic impact on restaurants and bars
• Smokefree workplaces save employers money.
• Servers, bartenders, dealers and other workers in restaurants, bars and casinos may regularly be exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke.